Update: Lookout has confirmed the deal. PR is at the bottom of the post, if you're interested.

The assortment of apps you have to wade through when powering on a new phone for the first time is about to grow by one. Samsung is expected to announced on Wednesday that is has licensed Lookout's anti-malware suit for all its upcoming Android devices. No word yet on whether or not current devices will get Lookout as an update.

Some users take it upon themselves to install apps like Lookout, but others don't want to put up with the added hassle and battery drain. If a phone isn't full of random APKs from around the internet, the risk of true malware infection is very low. Most users that know their way around Android will probably disable Lookout in the system settings. However, this move might not be directed at regular consumers. Samsung is pushing business features in its phones with features like the Knox data segregation system. Lookout is yet another way for IT to lock down a phone.

Samsung doesn't just sell high-end phones, though. Lookout could also be important to users in the developing world, where Google's services are spotty or non-existent. These are the people most likely to install apps from shady places around the web where Android malware is a legitimate concern.

This is far from the first time a company has forged a deal with anti-malware makers. Carriers like T-Mobile and Sprint have done so in a limited fashion. However, this is the first time an OEM has decided to add antivirus across all its devices, and Samsung is by far the largest maker of Android phones. The phone maker might have more to say when the deal is officially announced.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lookout, the leader in mobile security, today announced its expansion into business with a stand-alone mobile security offering for business coming later this year. Additionally, Samsung Electronics and Lookout announced a partnership to bring Lookout to mobile devices with Samsung KNOX.

“We’re excited to partner with Lookout to bring an additional level of security to Samsung KNOX. Lookout is the leader in mobile threat protection, and through attachment scanning and safe browsing they are uniquely equipped to address business mobile security and the evolving challenges in the BYOD movement,” said Dr. Injong Rhee, Senior Vice President of KNOX Business Group at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung KNOX is an end-to-end solution that provides security hardening from the hardware through to the application layer. Lookout for KNOX will include real-time, cloud-based scanning to protect against mobile threats from email attachments, web browsing, and any type of file sharing services.

“Samsung is a market leader in mobile devices for business, and we’re excited to work together to bring Lookout to KNOX,” said John Hering, CEO of Lookout. “Protection against mobile threats for devices in the workplace is critical, and we’re excited to announce we’re expanding to address the unique needs of businesses.”

Lookout’s expansion comes at a critical time. With one in three businesses allowing employees to use devices for work according to Gartner, mobile security is more important than ever. In fact, more than half of Fortune 1000 companies have employees using Lookout on their mobile devices already, and more than 45 million people worldwide use Lookout. With protection against mobile threats critical for businesses, Lookout will introduce Lookout for Business, a standalone offering, later this year.

In partnership with Samsung, the KNOX platform retains full compatibility with Android and the Google ecosystem while engineering fundamental security and management enhancements, including its unique application container technology that enables enterprises to support both BYOD and Corporate-Liable models, without compromising corporate security or employee privacy.

Which is the same? I mean if it is disabled means that I don't have to see it or use it?

Skander

Correct, it does take a few MB's of memory though, not that it even matters since lookout is lightweight anyways.

Joseph Cascio

It also doesn't matter because it takes space on the system partition. Which means even if you rooted and uninstalled the app, you still wouldn't recover any "useable" internal storage. Only extra space on the reserved system partition.

squiddy20

Unless you move some apps (like most of Google's apps) to /system/app.

Right, but the APK still occupies space. Functionally, there's almost no difference.

sguyx

Yes, if the app is disabled, it wont start. (With many apps you need to uninstall updates, then you get the option "disable" - for example Google Music)

Tim242

Probably not. There are many apps tthat don't allow you to disable.

Adamos Makis

what samsung apps dont allow you to disable them . One of the good think about samsung phones despite the large number of features of which some of them are useful while others are useless you can still disable them . As for uninstalling them it would be nice to have the option but i dont see a problem when most apps only take 5-20 mb of space

Tim242

You can't disable any of the Samsung apps, including their Knox security. You can't disable carrier apps, or other sponsored apps. I couldn't disable the yahoo crap they put on there.

Adamos Makis

Carrier apps ? What samsung has to do with them ? Also aside Knox which is only available to corporate users what other apps you cant disable . Kies air, group play,chat on and every other app behave like every other app ( and if you go to the application options in settings and go to running apps you will see those apps dont have any services or processes running ) . Once you exit they are disabled . Also features like smart stay can also be disabled. The only downside is that you cant uninstall them but then again those apps only take about 5-10mb each so no big problem

Tim242

My point is that there are many apps that cannot be disabled. Lookout will be another one. They consider it part of their security suite. Lookout does constantly run in the background, that will say up resources. Lookout is one of the biggest resource hogs I've seen.

RaptorOO7

Root and remove or freeze it.

nsnsmj

Another one for the bloatware brigade.

spydie

more bloatware

Jerry Mancini

Stop whining

Joshua

If they keep adding stuff to their phones, they'll have to produce 32 GB devices as the minimum storage option. As it is, things are already getting kinda ridiculous.

32GB should really be the minimum storage standard already as it is 2013!

WHO?

Yea i wish... We know Samsung is going to come with that 16GB story again. 32 GB in the future or overseas that no one will see. Or with all those APK's installed default 32 gig with 10 left for storage lol.

sguyx

Well, something is also depending on sellers. If they buy 16gb version, then you get only 16gb version. As in our country - Samsung seems to offer 16gb version only or sellers buy it only. Which one? Dont know... When i check websites in other countries, they all have 16 and 32 models on sale to choose. We have only the 16gb version! It sucks!

Tim

Hopefully the new Samsung and Sony phones this IFA come with a 32gb version

cy_n_ic

They should partner up with rice krispies since their phones snap, crackle, and pop!

Really? 1 more piece of bloatware in an already big pile of bloatware is tipping the scale suddenly? Just disable and forget about it.

Tim242

Disabling will probably be blocked. I'll be waiting for root to uninstall, just as I did with Knox.

WHO?

lol you just randomly pulled that answer out of the air! Of course you will be able to disable the app!

Tim242

I have a long list of apps that I could not disable that I had to uninstall with Titanlium, including Knox. I can guarantee you that this monetary deal will cause Lookout to be blocked from disabling as well.

chenxiaolong

That's true. If you decompile the SecSettings.apk, you'll find that they specifically prevent the disabling of some of their apps. In fact, even the international unlocked version (!) has code in it that prevents the disabling of certain carrier's bloatware (most notably, Verizon).

Matthew Merrick

Well, since with Knox - and Verizon's stupid lock-down-ness - making rooting and ROMing very difficult… yeah, this (potentially) could be a nail in the coffin for my potential purchase the Note 3

How did everybody just suddenly forgot how Lookout started it's promotion on the interwebs?
Doesn't anybody remember how they falsely accused some poor chinese developer of stealing your identity? I can't trust company whose only method of promotion until quite recently was FUD.

squiddy20

When isn't an antivirus company's promotion not about FUD?

sam

Even though this app could be useful, samsung should give me the freedom of choosing the apps on MY phone. Samsung could put its apps (movies, group play, ....) but why 3rd party apps !!!!

And this is why I will stick to nexuses.... :P
ya I could root it, but most of the time unless its Nexus phones. Rooting android phones are bit too much work

Tim242

What? Rooting is always easy. Unlocking the bootloader can take some work.

Morten Ulveseth

The process needed to root it... That's implied.

Mario

Rooting: Even a caveman can do it.

7abib0

Haha antivirus??!!

Emanuele Ricci

Lookout site is just exploded :D

Joseph Cascio

Let me get this straight. Someone at Samsung thought it was a good idea to sell their phones with antivirus software, thus making customers realize that that specific phone could be susceptible to viruses? Which isn't really true for Androids but most don't know that. How is that a good idea?

TRJT9

Is an antivirus on an android phone really necessary? I've heard mixed things on the issue.

Wish it was Avast, already using that so would've saved me time when installing ROMs lol

Ixil

This could have advantages for some users. However, it is not likely a regular user will come across a virus or malware because most users don't venture outside. There's a chance it will save a few random users that venture from the flock for a hacked game or application.

Jimbo

Anyone else concerned that this just makes Android look bad? It not like it needs antivirus...

Ashish

I was just about to say the same. The biggest android manufacturer installing anti-virus software is really bad for the entire android ecosystem.

Matt Dowdy

It would be nice if apps like this and other bloatware were on the Samsung app store as a recommended download as part of the phone setup just to give us a choice

Lot's of people are here saying they "don't need it" and that it isn't really a problem. While myself I don't feel the need to have an anti virus on my device, I do acknowledge th need for it.

Just because the people here are smart enough to know what they are doing does not mean that is the case in the general userbase. 99% of the desktop userbase are too stupid to see a scam, malware etc. etc. What makes anyone think that is different on smartphones?